Alkermes Launches New Disease State Website to Offer Education About Alcohol Dependence

DUBLIN, April 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Myrelationshipwithalcohol.com, a new website sponsored by Alkermes, Inc., a subsidiary of Alkermes plc (Nasdaq: ALKS), goes live today to offer education about alcohol dependence. Alcohol dependence is a treatable disease, but the belief that it is a moral or personal failing may prevent individuals from seeking help.¹ This new resource launches at a time when a growing number of people may be re-evaluating their drinking patterns.

"As one of the few companies working in this disease area, we felt compelled to develop a resource to help people better understand alcohol dependence," remarked Blair Jackson, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer of Alkermes. "Alcohol dependence is a medical condition affecting millions of Americans. Despite its prevalence, understanding of the disease itself and awareness of approved treatment options that exist remain low. Our aim is to provide people who may be living with the disease, or those who are caring for people living with it, with information to help empower them to speak with a healthcare provider."

Myrelationshipwithalcohol.com offers educational information about alcohol dependence, an interactive questionnaire developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)² designed to assess personal drinking patterns and a discussion guide to help start a conversation with healthcare providers about the disease and treatment options. The website also features personal stories of individuals sharing insights on how their relationship with alcohol needed to change, and their ongoing recovery journeys, after being diagnosed with alcohol dependence by a healthcare provider. We believe that highlighting these personal experiences provides an important opportunity to help destigmatize the disease.

"When my patients with alcohol dependence talk to me about the role alcohol plays in their life, it often sounds like they are discussing a relationship," says Joseph Volpicelli, M.D, Executive Director of the Institute of Addiction Medicine outside of Philadelphia. "The questionnaire featured on the website mirrors the way I often encourage my patients to think about their drinking behaviors. I challenge them to think beyond how much or how often they are drinking, to also reflect on the impact their drinking has on their life, how it affects their relationships, and how their drinking patterns make them feel about themselves." 

About Alcohol Dependence
Alcohol dependence is a chronic disease in which a person craves drinks that contain alcohol and is unable to control their drinking. A person with this disease also needs to drink greater amounts to get the same effect and has withdrawal symptoms after stopping alcohol use. Alcohol dependence affects physical and mental health, and can cause problems with family, friends and work.³ 

About Alkermes
Alkermes plc is a fully-integrated, global biopharmaceutical company developing innovative medicines in the fields of neuroscience and oncology. The company has a portfolio of proprietary commercial products focused on addiction and schizophrenia, and a pipeline of product candidates in development for schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder, neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Alkermes plc has an R&D center in Waltham, Massachusetts; a research and manufacturing facility in Athlone, Ireland; and a manufacturing facility in Wilmington, Ohio. For more information, please visit Alkermes' website at www.alkermes.com.

¹ National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Surgeon General Issues Landmark Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health. Accessed on April 22, 2021 from: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/news-events/news-noteworthy/surgeon-general-issues-landmark-report-alcohol-drugs-and-health

² National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Alcohol Use Disorder: A Comparison Between DSM-IV and DSM-5. Accessed on April 22, 2021 from: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/alcohol-use-disorder-comparison-between-dsm

³ National Cancer Institute at National Institutes of Health. Alcohol Dependence. Accessed on April 22, 2021 from: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/alcohol-dependence           

Alkermes Contacts:
For Investors: Sandy Coombs,    +1 781 609 6377
For Media:      Marisa Borgasano,  +1 781 609 6659

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SOURCE Alkermes plc